Lake Tahoe

With its breathtaking surroundings and majestic mountains, Lake Tahoe is the one of the largest freshwater lakes in the United States, and is bordered by Sierra Nevada Mountains in the west and Carson Range on the east. Situated at a height of about 6,225 ft (1,897 m) above the sea level, Lake Tahoe is an exquisite year-round tourist destination located along the border of California and Nevada.

Formation of Lake Tahoe basin was due to a geological transformation dating back to some 2-3 million years ago. Due to this transformation a block of land in this region moved down due to fractures in earth's crust, a phenomenon termed as geologic block faulting. At the same time, the adjacent Carson Mountain range and Sierra Nevada Mountain range were formed due to a block of land moving upwards. Some of the biggest mountain peaks in the Lake Tahoe basin have a height of more than 10,000 ft (3,048 m) above the sea level. A few of these include the Freel Peak (10,891 ft/3,320 m), Monument Peak (10,067 ft/3,068 m) and Pyramid Peak (9,983 ft/3,043 m).

Lake Tahoe has a length of about 22 m (35 km) and a width of 12 m (19 km). The shore line of the lake stretches to a length of 72 m (116 km) and has a surface area or 191 square miles (495 sq. km.). The temperature of the water in the lake remains at 40 - 50 degrees F (4.5-10 degrees C) during the months of February and March. As the year passes, the water warms to 65 to 70 degrees F (18 to 21 degrees C) till September. Washoe Tribe were the initial inhabitants at this lake, which has various streams flowing into it.

Another feature for which Lake Tahoe is greatly admired is its depth and the clarity of the water in the Lake. According to a bathymetric survey, Lake Tahoe has been identified as the second deepest lake in the United States with the maximum depth measuring up to 1,645 ft (501 m). Lake Tahoe is also the tenth deepest lake in the entire World. The clarity of water at Lake Tahoe is about 100 ft (30 m) deep.

Apart from being the home to some of the famous ski resorts in the country, Lake Tahoe is also a favorite destination for several other kinds of recreational activities including cross-country skiing, water sports, hiking, fishing, camping, bicycling and casino gaming.